Drug addiction does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, or even social class. In 2016, 931 people in British Columbia alone overdosed on illicit drugs, and the number continues to sky rocket.

This year alone, the epidemic is taking the lives of 5-7 people in every Canadian city each day.

Why is it taking the lives of so many? A large number of those who witness an overdose are afraid to call 9-1-1, because they are afraid of being charged with possession. Those who can stop an accidental overdose will most likely opt not to, because they fear the potential consequences.

As of yesterday, the Canadian government enacted a new law entitled The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. The new law is meant to protect those at the scene of the emergency, granting immunity from “drug possession charges, violations of parole, probation, or pretrial release orders,” according to Huffington Post. While this does not put an end to the overdoses, it is expected to reduce the number of incidences each year.

Opioid overdose is the number three cause of accidental deaths in Canada alone. For the past three years, Toronto, B.C. and Alberta all have programs that aid in reducing overdoses by supplying naloxone kits to drug users and training them on how to use it in case they ever need to.